Display stand



Aug 25, 1931. H. E. SOREF 1,320,841

DISPLAY STAND Filed Sept. 29, 1927 INVENTOR. HARRY E. SOREF ATTORNEYS IPatented Aug. 25, 1931 PATENT OFFICE Y HARRY E. sonar, or MILWAUKEE,isconsin DISPLAY s'rANn Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No.222,862.

Myinvention relates to an improved construction ofdisplay stands, in theform of "a counter or show-case easel, and is designed for supportingarticles of merchandise hav ing' considerable weight, in which respectit differs from prior devices of the class, the latter-being designedfor supporting a stock of'light articles of small aggregate weight.

. The present invention is designed pri- Ml marily to support a stock ofpadlocks, the

aggregate weight of which is several pounds. It is necessary thereforeto construct the stand in a sturdymanner, and so that it cannot becollapsed or easily turnedv over. 'The leg'of the easel is securedagainst any possible accidental disturbance of its position, and whileanimpact may move the easel bodily, it cannot be tipped over by reasonof-the weight carried by it but will be maintained in upright, that is,display position at all times.

A bracket'secured to the back of the easel forms themeans for pivotingthe leg thereto,'such bracket being so shaped that when the leg isarranged in supporting position'it is securely locked against accidentalchange ofrposition, in consequence of which if the [easel be pushed, itwill not be upset nor will it collapse. The bracket is also pro-'videdwith means whereby the pivoted leg may be folded into parallelismwith the stand and retained in such folded position, whereby handlingand packing of the easel is facilitated, without interference by a legwhich is not constrained in its movement out of parallelism with thestand. a

' A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of meanson the bracket for maintaining the connection between the pivoted legandthe stand, so that the leg cannot accidentally be disconnectedtherefrom.

V The construction willlnow be described in detail, and the noveltythereof pointed out in theappended claims..

InIthe accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a rear View perspective show-,ing a display stand with its supporting means constructed in accordancewith my invention.

'Fig. 2 is a sectional view through a portion of the stand and thebracket, and illustrating also a portion of the leg pivoted to thebracket, the view being taken on the line 2-2, .Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is'an enlarged view'in rear elevation of a portion of the stand,showing the bracket attached thereto and the upper end of the legconnected therewith.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates .00 a display stand supportedin a leaning position by means of a leg 11 at the rear side thereof.Attached to the rear of the easel is a bracket 12, formed convenientlyas a metalstamping with angles 13 and 14 at its ends, and connected by abridge piece 15, so as to form a space at the back of the stand 10opening vertically, and defined by the angles '13 and 14 and the bridgepiece 15. The parallel walls 13 and 14 of the 7 angular ends areprovided with perforations through which are passed the oppositelyextending ends 16 and 17 of the leg 11, the latter being formed ofaspring wire having a foot or base 12, from which the wire is '75returned at each side so as to extend upwardly in a converging relation,the opposite extensions 16 and 17 being formed at the upper ends of thewire.

The bridge piece 15,'Fig. 3, is provided 30 with central openings 18 and19, separated by a downwardly extending tongue 20, from which openingsnarrow passages lead to the lower edge of the bridge, the said passageshaving a width a little greater than 5 the thickness of the wire out ofwhich the leg 11 is formed.

In using the invention, the bracket 12 is attached to the rear side ofthe stand, by screws or otherwise. The leg 11 is laid on flat upon theback of the stand, and the converging portions of the leg are pressedtogether so as to permit the upper end of the leg with the oppositelateral extensions 16 and 17 v to be inserted under the bridge. Thepressure is relaxed, and the extensions 16' and 17 enter theperforations in the angles 13 and 14. In such position, the leg cannotbe moved outwardly, by reason of the contracted width of the passagescon- 10' necting with the openings 18 and 19. But

by bending the tongue 20, with its wider end, close to the stand, asshown in Fig. 2, the passages are widened so that the conzvergmgportions of the leg 11 near its up per end may be passed through suchpassages The positioning ofthe wider end of the tongue 20-as' in Fig 2,-provides a distance piece which will prevent the opposite ends 16 and 17from being withdrawn from the perforations in the angles 13 and 14.

By compressing the converging portions of the leg until they engage thetapering sides of the tongue 20, see dotted lines 3,

the leg may be rotated into its outer position, and above theprojections 21 an'd- 22.

Upon releasing the pressure, the convergingportions oftheleg will springinto the full line positions shown in Fig. 3, their collapse beingprevented by the underlying projections 21 and 22.

wider end of the tongue 20, and being guarded by the overhangingprojectionsi21 and 22, theleg cannot beswung outwardly by accidentalimpact. This arrangement facilitates greatly the handling of the displaystand, inasmuch as the leg in its parallel -posi-tion is prevented fromaccidentalmove ment' outwardly, so interference is "avoided. i v i H"The construction is such that the supporting leg for the stand islocated either in its operative or inoperative-position and neither canbe disturbed through accident. I tore stated, the display stand isdesigned to carry merchandise of considerable weight,

As bethe construction shownand described is such f as to support thestand firmly. so'that the l'eg cannot be collapsed accidentally, obvi--ating the liability of the stand to fall and I cause damage by reason ofits weight.

7 -Having*thus described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecureby Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1."A device for supporting a display stand, the said device comprising abracket for attachmentto the stand, such bracket having a bridge-piecewith opposite lateral ends offset at an angle to engage the said standand space the bridge-piece therefrom, and a leg having at its upper endopposlte ylatera'l pro ections d1sposed 1n the space under thebridge-piece and pivotally engaged "with the said-angular endsofthebracket,

I The legmaybe easily "folded into a position parallel with thebridge-piece, when engaged by the leg, acting to limit the outwardmovement oi. the leg.

2. A device for supporting a display stand, the said device comprising abracket for attachment to the stand, such bracket having a bridge-piecewith opposite lateral ends )ofisetat an angle to engage the said standand space the bridge-piece therefrom, and a leg having at its upper endopposite lateral projections disposed in the space under thebridge-piece and pivotally engagectwith the said angular ends of thebracket, the bridge-piece, when engaged by the leg, actmg to limit theoutward movementof the leg, and the said angular ends having inwardextensions serving to hold the said leg in either its opened or foldedposition.

. 3. A device. for supporting display stand, the said device comprisinga bracket for attachment to the stand, such bracket having abridge-piece with opposite lateral ends ofiset-at an angle to engage thesaid stand and space the bridge-piece therefrom,

.andaleg formed of spring'wire and provided with a foot from which thewire is returned upwardly in converging relation, the free ends of thewire having opposite lateral projections disposed in the spacer;

under the bridge-piece and pivotally engaged with the said angular endsof the bracket, the bridge-piece, when engaged by the leg, actingtolimit the outward movement of the leg, and a part disposed between thesaid free ends :to prevent their withdrawal from engagement with thesaid angular ends.

' 4. A device for supporting display stand, the said device comprising abracket" for attacl'nnent to the stand, such bracket having abridge-piece with opposite lateral ends offset at an angle to engage thesaid stand and space the bridge-piece therefrom, and a legi'ormed ofspring wire and provided with a foot from which the wire is returnedupwardly in converging relation, the free ends of the wire havlngopposlte lateral pro ections dlsposed in the space under thebridge-piece and pivotally engaged with the said angular ends of theLrackea'the bridge-piece,*when engaged by the leg, acting to limit theoutward movement of the leg, and a tongue depending rom the bridge-pieceand disposed between the said free ends to prevent their withdrawal fromengagement wlth the said angular ends.

5. A device for supporting a display stand, the said device comprising abracket for attachment to the stand, such bracket having a'bridge-piece'with opposite lateral ends offset at an angle to engagethesaid stand and space the budge-piece therefrom,

and a leg formed of spring wire andprovided with a foot from which thewire is returned upwardly in converging relation, the free ends of thewire having opposite lateral projections disposed 'inthe space under thebridge-piece and pivotally engaged with the said angular ends of thebracket, the bridge-piece, when engaged by the leg, acting to limit theoutward movement oftheleg, the said angular ends hav- 50 ing inwardextensions serving to holdthe said leg in either its opened or foldedposition and a tongue depending .from the bridge-piece and disposedbetween the said free ends to prevent their withdrawal from engagementwith the said angular ends.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 19th dayof Sep tember, 1927.

HARRY E. SOREF.

